Is FinTech Implementation a Strategic Step for Sustainability in Today's Changing Landscape? An Empirical Investigation

In today's changing landscape, digitalization and sustainability are the core drivers for financial services industry transformation. While both concepts have been researched in recent years, their intersection, often conceived as “FinTech,” remains underdetermined. The literature in this domain has emerged recently and is characterized by a specific focus on isolated aspects of FinTech and does not provide a comprehensive perspective on the topic yet. To fill this gap, this article explores linkages between process-related indicators and sustainable performance outcomes resulting from FinTech implementation. This article analyzed the interplay of technology–organization–environment based FinTech framework including sustainable technology orientation (STO), efficiency, environmental performance, and organizational value creation (VC), through in-depth interviews and a structural model. The comprehensive framework was tested using 303 survey responses. The findings indicate the relative significance of proposed linkages of the process-related indicators and the variables, namely STO, efficiency, and environmental performance, leading to VC. The article contributes to the ongoing debate on environmental sustainability through sustainable operations management and VC using cutting-edge technologies. The managers can draw upon the findings to improve their understanding of the factors for creating value through improved and STO, efficiency, and environmental performance of FinTech applications.